Easel



J. A. CAMERON. EASEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3,1920.

1,396,724. Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

%&'s ATTORNEY U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. CAMERON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO TAIBELL, LOOMIS & COMPANY, 01 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01! ILLINOIS.

' mean.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Application filed August a, 1920. Serial in. 400,907.

- in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Easels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this speclfication, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to stationery and more particularly to photographic mounts such as are usually made of heavy paper for the display of portraits and other pictures and the invention'has for its ob ect to provide a mount of the easel type that will be simple and cheap to manufacture and which will be sightly when folded to a fiat condition in which the picture is protected or covered, the im rovements being directed in part toward e ecting a safe and compact folding of the locking devices for holding the easel structure in extended position. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View of a photographic mount in folded condition and constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device folded;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device extended to form an easel;

Fi 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the device extended as in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the article in use, and

Fig. 7 is a side view.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

My present invention is shown embodied in a photograph mount or holder of the usual type in so far as it includes a backing or body portion 1 provided with corner clips 2 in which the photograph or picture 3 is held, as shown in Fig. 6. Legs 4 are, in the present instance, formed at the lower corners of the backing and integral with the .usua angle of vision, the sup latter are a pair of side flaps 5 hinged thereto along a scored line 6 at the lateral edges of the body of the backing. These flaps or wings act as covers and may be folded'over upon each other, as shown in Fig. 1, to

rotect the picture when desired and to reduce the size of the mount for shipping. a

The lower edges of the flaps 5 are cut at an an le of less than 90 and the flaps may be fo ded back to the positions shownin Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7 to support the backing and the picture mounted thereon in an upright position in which'case, the angle given to the lower ed es of the flaps causes the backing to be slightly rearwardly inclined, as clearly shown in Fig. 7," so that it will rest securely and not have a tendency to tip over toward the front. The upper edges of a the flaps are also preferabl cut at the same angle, not only to make t em symmetrical when folded,as in Fig. 1, but so that when the picture is viewed from the front, at a ortin flaps will not be visible or will, at east, e less prominent.

As best shown in Fig. 4, I prefer to build up the backing 1 with a reinforcing sheet 7 secured thereto only at its edges, as indicated at 8 and preferably centrally embossed ,or, at any rate, the two sheets are slightly spaced apart to accommodate a tongue 9 the major portion of which lies between them when the mount or easel is folded, as in Fig. 2. The tongue extends through a horizontal slot 10 in the sheet 7 which it closely fits with an enlargement 11 projecting to the exterior. The body of the tongue is slightly ta ered toward its lower end which is provided with an enlargement 12 forming shoulders 13 preventing it from being readily or inadvertently entirely removed from the backing. The material of the tongue is preferably transversel scored to make a hinge or bending point a 01% the line 14 close to the enlargement 12. hen the device is extended for use, the tongue is grasped by the enlargement 11 of the fingerpiece and drawn out until the shoulders 13 reach the slot and halt the withdrawing ment 11 form shoulders that are engaged A "their rear ed over the free edges of the side or supportue acts as a brace between them and holds t em in a converging or supporting osition as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The ten ency of the side flaps is, of course, to separate or move away from each other into the plane of the body of the backing so that the spring of the flaps holds them against 'the shoulders 15.

The tongue 9 is preferably connected with the backing to the slotlO at a relatively high.

point so that as it swings on the hinge 14, the shoulders '15 will travel in an are intersecting the upper free corners of the flaps 5 and in this way, as the tongue is drawn out of its slot, it rises above the flaps and is then swung down into engagement with shoulders am as the movement is continued to a low oint. This eflectively prevents the parts ii-om becoming easily disengaged from each other.

When it is desired to .fold the device, the

tongue is disengaged from the flap by a true Y upward swing and then thrust down into its slot 10 in a direction in the plane of the backing and the flaps 5 are folded forwardly over the face of the picture. In this condition, the tongue is not exposed and does not become readily damaged.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a picture mount or the like, the 06mbination with a backing and lateral flaps adapted to fold into ges upon which the notchedoverlapping relationship against the face thereof, or to be swung rearwardly to act as easel supports, of a retaining member extending rearwardly from the backing and provided with shoulders to engage and lock the flaps at their edges, said retaining member being foldable to inoperative position by an endwise bodily movement in the plane of the backing.

In a picture mount or the like, the combination with a backing having double walls, the rear wall bein provided with a slot, and lateral flaps adap ed to be swung rearwardly to act as easel supports, of a retaining member extending slidably through the slot and having a retracted position in which its major portion is accommodated between the said 'walls, said brace being provided with shoulders adapted to engage the flaps at their edges and lock them in supporting position 3. In a picture mount or the like, the combination with a backing having double walls, the rear wall being provided with a slot, and lateral flaps on the backing adapted to fold against the face thereof or to be swung rearwardly to act as easel su ports, of a retaining member extending slldably through the slot and having a retracted position in which its major portion is accommodated be tween the said walls, said brace being provided with shoulders adapted to engage the flaps at their edges and lock them in supporting position.

JAMES A. CAMERON. 

